Handbag adapted to be transformed into a tent



March 16,1965 Y. F. J. J'AIME 3,173,435

HANDBAG ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED zucro A TENT Filed Jan. 2, 1962 United States Patent 41,101, Patent 1,278,362 7 Claims. (Cl. 1354) My inventiQn has forits object a'handbag of the socalled sea-side bag type which is adapted to carry after the manner-of-ordinarybags personal articles while it may be transformed into a rniniatureprotect-ing tent adaptedtoserve, inparticular, as a small bathing hut.

Saidbag; which isclosed by a slide fastener, is provided withan opening the-'cross-section of which is larger than that of its bottomwhile, on the one hand said bottom is provided-with a reinforcement to which are pivotally secured at least three, legs including each a number of foldable and expansible sections. and, on the other hand, a piece of light canvas of a frustoconical shape is secured along thevedge of the, opening of the'bag and extends fiaringly away from said edge. This arrangement is such that in its folded condition as 'used for transportation, the legs and the canvas are enclosed inside the body of the actual bag while it is possible to also house inside the latter the wearers personal articles. When it is desired to transform the bag into a tent or bathing hut, said bag is opened and inverted to place its opening facing downwardly, after which the legs are drawn out and the canvas is spread out so as to extend down to ground level and to form thereby a complete protection round the user when undressing, said protection terminating at its upper end with the bag body which forms a capping, whereby a housing is obtained the size of which is sufiicient for the user to undress and dress again inside it.

Such a bathing hut may also serve as a miniature tent for protection against sun and against wind.

It is also possible to associate therewith stretching members secured to the eyes carrying the string closing the bag with a view to increasing its stability.

The piece of canvas adapted to surround the user is obviously cut in a manner such as to fiare outwardly in alignment with the flaring wall of the body of the bag and it may thus form an extension of the invented bag so that the whole arrangement assumes, when erected on its legs, the shape of the frustum of a pyramid.

My invention will be readily understood upon reading of the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example a preferred embodiment of the bag including in the case illustrated telescopically expansible legs; in said drawings:

FIG. 1 shows the metal reinforcement with the legs collapsed for housing inside the bag body;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of said reinforcement;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bag in its folded condition carrying the reinforcement, legs and piece of canvas inside it;

FIG. 4 is an outer view of the folded bag;

FIG. 5 illustrates on a smaller scale and partly in sectional view the bag shown in FIG. 4, when transformed into a bathing hut.

The actual bag, the body of which is made of a strong canvas, is of the conventional type known as a seaside bag and it is closed by means of a draw string. Said bag distinguishes from conventional bags however in that the perimeter of its round bottom 3 is smaller than the periphcry of its opening 4 when the latter is spread out.

Along the edge of the opening 4 is sewn a piece 5 of light canvas the perimeter of the outer edge 6 of which 3,173,435 Ratented Mar. 16,1965

is longer than. the perimeter of the. edge. extending along the. opening4. Said piece. ofcanvas. is provided with a vertical cut 7 closed bya slide fastener 8. Inside. the bag 1 andin contact with its bottom 3 is positioned a reinforcementring 9.. consituted by. a metallic tube. To said annular reinforcement 9 are secured as for example, by welding, stay-plates 10; to which are secured .at 11 teles scopic legs 12: including each a plurality. of sections adapted to collapse inside one. another and to be locked in alignmentin theirv expanded position as well known in the. art, while theouter. ends of saidlegs carry. projections 13? adapted to slightly engage the ground.

In their. collapsed. or. folded condition illustrated in FIG. 3, said telescopiclegs .12..engage;the. inner Wall of the bag 1 and the piece of light canvas 5 is folded back so. as to lie. inside the. the system of legs 12iand to. form inside the bag a pocket in which there may be housed the personal articles to be. carried'by the. user.

There is thus provided asmall-sized bag which is light and maybe. carried in thev manner. of: any ordinary hand luggage.

In order to. transform such a bag into a bathing. but as illustratedin FIG. 5; first thestring 2 is released, after which the user spreads out the. edge. ofthe .upperopening 4...and. then inverts. the bag to. locate the bottom 3 above the opening 4. The piece of light canvas 5 is then removed from within the outer bag 1 and allowed to hang freely after which the telescopic legs 12 are opened to their expanded position. The legs 12 are properly spaced with reference to one another through a pivotal movement round the pivotal points 11 so as to set the ends of the legs at the apices of an equilateral triangle and to insert them into the ground. Finally the piece of light canvas 5 is allowed to drop over the legs in the manner of a skirt.

In the case illustrated, there are three telescopic legs 12 and the bathing hut or miniature tent as erected takes the outline of a three-sided frustum of a pyramid. In order to enter the bathing hut the slide fastener 8 is operated to open the hut. Once the user is inside the hut the slide fastener 8 is closed to furnish complete privacy.

Lastly, it is obvious and it is also apparent from the preceding disclosure that the invention is by no means limited to the single embodiment disclosed hereinabove and it covers all the modifications thereof lying within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A handbag adapted for transformation into a tent adapted for use as a bathing hut, said handbag comprising: a bag body having a bottom and an opening remote from said bottom which is larger in peripheral extent than that of the bottom, reinforcement means within said bag body adjacent the bottom of the bag body, a plurality of collapsible legs pivotally connected to said reinforcement means and extending therefrom within said bag body towards the opening therein, and a piece of material having an edge secured to said bag body at the opening thereof and collapsed within said bag body to form a pocket within the bag body while covering the reinforcement means and collapsible legs, said piece of material having a peripheral extent, remote from the edge thereof secured to said bag body, which is larger than the peripheral extent of said opening, said bag body and piece of material being respectively dimensioned to cooperatively define a substantially smooth continuous covering which encloses the legs when the latter are expanded and extend from the bag body whereby said tent can be erected by withdrawing said piece of material from within the bag body, and expanding the legs.

2. A hand-bag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reinforcement means is a ring.

3. A hand-bag as claimed in claim 1 comprising fastener means in said piece of material for opening and closing the material to permit entry and exit from the tent.

4. A handbag adapted to be transformed into a small protecting tent, adapted for use as a bathing hut, said handbag comprising a body in the form of a bag, said body having a perimetral edge constituting an opening for the bag, said bag having a bottom portion which is remote from said opening, a reinforcement inside the bag along the bottom portion thereof, at least three collapsible legs pivotally secured to said reinforcement and adapted to form a stand for the bag body with the latter inverted and the legs extended beyond the opening, and a continuous piece of material having an edge secured to the body at the opening in the bag for being selectively collapsed within the bag with said legs in collapsed position inside the body to form a pocket within said body covering the collapsed legs, and selectively withdrawn from the bag in inside-out condition over the stand formed by the legs.

5. A hand-bag as claimed in claim 4 wherein said reinforcement is a ring.

6. A hand-bag as claimed in claim 4 wherein said piece of material is provided with a slot extending away from the opening and a slide fastener on said piece of material for opening and closing the slot.

7. A bag adapted for expansion to form a tent, said bag comprising: a bag body having an opening, a framework having an expanded and collapsed state, said framework being supported in the bag body, said framework in the collapsed state being entirely within the bag body while in the expanded state extending through the opening in said body and therebeyond, and a continuous openable length of mateiral secured to the bag body at the opening thereof and being insertable and removable from said bag body, said material forming a pocket within said bag body while enclosing the framework between the material and the bag body when the material is inserted into the bag body, said bag body and material having respective dimensions to define a cooperative and continuous covering for the framework when the material from the bag body and the frame work is in expanded state.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,844,038 2/32 Hooker 5 2,188,213 1/40 Wilson 135-5 2,302,650 11/42 Anderson et al. 1352 2,623,532 12/52 McGanty 1344 X 2,635,664 4/53 Cohen -28 2,731,997 1/56 Muth et al. 15011 2,924,414 2/60 Tesdal 248-191 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,258,985 3/61 France.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

D. J. STOCKING, Examiner. 

7. A BAG ADAPTED FOR EXPANSION TO FORM A TENT, SAID BAG COMPRISING: A BAG BODY HAVING AN OPENING , A FRAMEWORK HAVING AN EXPANDED AND COLLAPSED STATE, SAID FRAMEWORK BEING SUPPORTED IN THE BAG BODY, SAID FRAMEWORK IN THE COLLAPSED STATE BEING ENTIRELY WITHIN THE BAG BODY WHILE IN THE EXPANDED STATE EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING OF SAID BODY AND THEREBEYOND, AND A CONTINOUS OPENABLE LENGTH OF MATERIAL SECURED TO THE BAG BODY AT THE OPENING THEREOF AND BEING INSERTABLE AND REMOVABLE FROM SAID BAG BODY, SAID MATERIAL FORMING A POCKET WITHIN SAID BAG BODY WHILE ENCLOSING THE FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE MATERIAL AND THE BAG BODY WHEN THE MATERIAL IS INSERTED INTO THE BAG BODY, SAID BAG BODY AND MATERIAL HAVING RESPECTIVE DIMENSIONS TO DEFINE A COOPERATIVE AND CONTINUOUS COVERING FOR THE FRAMEWORK WHEN THE MATERIAL FROM THE BAG BODY AND THE FRAMEWORK IS IN EXPANDED STATE. 